Wine-clearing apparatus.



M. M. WHEELER. WINE CLEARING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1912. 1,082,297.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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M. M. WHEELER. WINE CLEARING APPARATUS.

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MONROE M. WHEELER, OF CATAWBA, NEW' YORK.

WINE-CLEARING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONROE M. VvI-IEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Catawba, in the county of Steuben, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wine-Clearing Apparatus, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and t0 the figures of reference marked thereon.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for clearing wines, and especially to an apparatus adapted in its operation to drive all the foreign matter held in suspension in the liquid, toward the cork of the bottle containing the same, where it all collects at the base of the cork.

It is particularly useful in the clearing of champagne.

The apparatus includes a rotating circular table upon which the bottles are placed radially with their butts toward the center, the rotation of the table producing a centrifugal action which moves the foreign matters toward the neck of the bottle until they find lodgment on the inside of the cork.

It includes also devices for supporting the bottles on the table in such a way that they are given an intermittent axial rotation, while carried by the table, and also includes devices for delivering a succession of blows upon the body of the bottle, for the purpose of dislodging any such foreign mat ter as may adhere to the side of the bottle, thus causing such matter to move evenly and uniformly toward the cork.

The invention consists primarily of a rotating carrier, both supports movable therewith, and means for rotating the bottles axially.

It also consists of a rotating carrier, bottle supports movable therewith, and means for raising and lowering the supports to bring the bottles into operative position or to prevent their discharge.

Further, it consists of a rotating carrier, bottle supports movable therewith, and means for tapping the bottles as the carrier rotates.

Still further it consists in an organized wine-clearing machine having a rotating carrier for the bottles, with means brought into operation by the rotation of the carrier,

specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

Serial No. 693,621.

for rotating the individual bottles axially, and for tapping them.

Finally, it consists in the various matters hereinafter described and referred to in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of about half the apparatus; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevation, showing the bottle-holding, releasing, rotating and tapping mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the support for the rotating clamping jaws.

In these drawings, 1 is a suitable upright extending vertically from the standard or base 2, secured to the floor. A vertically arranged rotating shaft 3 revolves around the upright, and carries adjacent its lower end a horizontal bevel gear meshing with a vertical bevel gear, on the shaft of an electric motor, which is herein shown as the source of power.

Keyed to the shaft 3 is the hub 5 of a circular table 4, constructed preferably of fiatboiler plate, and suitably braced by angles and webs. The upper end of the shaft 3 revolves in a recess in the bottom of a stationary sleeve 7, bolted at intervals to the upright l. A stationary bracket or annular ring 6 is supported by inclined radial arms 6 from the ring 6 bolted through the sleeve and upright.

Each bottle holder or support consists of a flat frame or plate 9, pivoted at 8 to the outer periphery of the table 4:. A retaining ring 18 around the table, prevents longitudinal displacement of the bottles under the centrifugal action due to the rotation of the table or carrier. The bottle support is operated by means of the rod 10, pivoted at one end to the crank 9 on the bottle holder, and at its other end connected to the bell crank lever 11, connected to the upright rod 13, attached to the loose sleeve 14. This loose sleeve 1 1 is grooved to receive a rod 15, connected to one end of the bell crank 16, to which is attached one end of the operating rod 17 extending to within reach of the operator. Movement of the rod 17 in one direction will tilt the bottle support forwardly, and allow the bottle to be ejected,

as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, while movement in the opposite direction will raise the bottle into horizontal position.

Journaled in uprights 19 on the rotating carrier is a shaft 20, having a slight longitudinal movement through the connection with the rod 10 as shown in Fig. 1. Upon the outer end of this shaft is a conical head 21, adapted to operate the spring clamping jaws 22 of the bottle butt clamp. These jaws are pivoted to a member 30 rotatably supported by the upright 23. As the rod 10 moves inwardly to bring the bottle holder 9 to horizontal position, the shaft 20 correspondingly moves, the conical head 21 spreads the inner ends of the jaws 22 and causes the outer ends to clamp the bottle butt. As the carrier or table A rotates, a toothed wheel 24. engages a pin 25 on the stationary bracket 6, and thus the shaft 20 is rotated and the frictional engagement of the conical head 21 with the jaws 22 imparts to the bottle an axial rotation. Thus a stepby-step or intermittent axial rotation is imparted to each bottle, each toothed wheel 24 successively engaging each pin 25, giving a partial turn to each shaft 20. Upon each upright 23 is also pivoted an arm 26 carrying a knowling or tapping head or pad 27, a spring 28 holding such arm 26 in normal position. This arm is retracted against the pressure of the spring by its inner end coming in Contact with a pin 29 also carried on the ring 6. Thus each bottle in its bodily movement and axial rotation, is intermittently tapped by a series of hammers which are brought into operation successively by the pins 29 engaging and releasing the free end of the hammer.

The bottles being arranged on their holders, the operator working the arm 1? draws the butt ends of the bottles into the spring clamping jaws, which at the same time are firmly closed by the movement of the shaft 20 carrying the conical head 21. Power being applied, the carrier or table 4 is revolved, and as it revolves the toothed wheels 2% successively contacting with the pins 25, and the tapping arms 26 successively being operated by the pins 29, the foreign matter is set free, and the centrifugal action due to the revolution of the carrier, drives such foreign matter toward the mouth of the bottle, where it all collects at the base of the cork. When the desired treatment has been effected, the operating arm 17 is again manipulated, when the clamping jaws will release the bottle butts and the bottleholder will be tilted to allow the discharge of the bottle.

It will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wine-clearing apparatus comprising a revolving bottle carrier, bottle supports movable therewith, bottle clamping devices and means for moving said bottle supports relatively to the carrier and simultaneously operating the clamping devices.

2. A wine-clearing apparatus comprising a revolving bottle carrier, bottle supports movable therewith, bottle clamping devices, means for moving said bottle supports relatively to the carrier, and simultaneously operating the clamping devices, and means for rotating the clamping devices.

8. A wine-clearing apparatus including a revolving bottle carrier, bottle supports movable therewith, means for raising and lowering said supports, and means for rotating the bottles axially.

4. A wine-clearing apparatus including a revolving bottle carrier, bottle supports movable therewith, means for raising and lowering said supports, and means for 1'0- tating the bottles axially, the bottles being brought into operative engagement with their rotating means on the raising of the supports.

5. A wine-clearing apparatus including a revolving bottle carrier, movable bottle supports, means for rotating the bottles on their supports, and means for intermittently tapping the bottles as they move.

6. A wine-clearing apparatus including a revolving bottle carrier, movable bottle supports, means for rotating the bottles on their supports, and means for intermittently tapping the bottles as they move, the rotating means and the bottle-tapping means being brought into operation automatically by the revolution of the carrier.

7. An organized wine-clearing apparatus comprising a revolving carrier for the bottles, with means brought into operation by the revolution of the carrier for rotating the individual bottles axially and for tapping them.

8. In a wine-clearing apparatus, a revolving carrier, pivotal bottle supports with means for operating them, spring clamping jaws for holding the bottle butts, and means for rotating the spring clamping jaws.

9. In a wine-clearing apparatus, a revolving carrier, pivotal bottle supports with means for operating them, spring clamping jaws for holding the bottle butts, means for rotating the spring clamping jaws, said means including a shaft having a head to frictionally engage the spring clamping jaws, and means for rotating the shaft.

10. In a wine-clearing apparatus, a revolving carrier, pivotal bottle supports with means for operating them, spring clamping jaws for holding the bottle butts, means for rotating the spring clamping jaws, said means including a shaft having a head to frictionally engage the spring clamping jaws, and means for rotating the shaft, including a toothed gear and stationary pins on the machine frame engaging the toothed gear as the carrier revolves.

11. In a wine-clearing apparatus, a revolving carrier, bottle supports, and a tapping mechanism including a series of springoperated hammers, and stationary pins on the machine frame alternately engaging and releasing the hammers as the carrier revolves.

12. In a wine-clearing apparatus, bottle supports, clamping heads for the bottle butts, means for rotating the clamping heads including a longitudinally movable shaft having a head engaging the clamping heads to cause them to operatively engage the butts, and also frictionally engaging said clamping heads to impart rotation thereto as the shafts are rotated.

13. In a wine-clearing apparatus, bottle supports, clamping heads for the bottle butts, means for rotating the clamping heads including a longitudinally movable shaft having a head engaging the clamping heads to cause them to operatively engage the butts, and also frictionally engaging said clamping heads to impart rotation thereto as the shafts are rotated, and means for rotating said shafts including stationary pins engaging toothed wheels on said shaft.

14. In a wine-clearing machine, pivotal supports for the bottles, a rod for operating the same to raise and lower them, clamping heads into which the bottle butts are drawn as the pivotal supports are raised, a movable member also operated by the rod to cause the clamping heads to hold the butts, and means for rotating the movable member While in engagement with the clamping heads.

15. In a wine-clearing machine, pivotal supports for the bottles, a rod for operating the same to raise and lower them, clamping heads into which the bottle butts are drawn as the pivotal supports are raised, a movable member also operated by the rod to cause the clamping heads to hold the butts, means for rotating the movable member while in engagement with the clamping heads, and a retaining ring around the revoluble bottle carrier.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

MONROE M. WHEELER.

Witnesses ANNE S. PIPER, DERASTUS TILLMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

